New Study on Peanut M&Ms

Did you know that studies somewhere show (probably) that eating a pound of peanut M&Ms everyday will cause you to live twice as long?

You probably guessed it. That was a complete lie. But you've probably heard claims that were just as absurd (or at least close). Advertisements swarm social media accounts telling about the newest technology that will help you lose weight or the latest gadget that will make your life 100% simpler. They claim to have studies to back them up. There are testimonials about how well this product works! On other sites they tell you what opinions you should have for different areas. They give you examples and "studies" that have been conducted. Some people fall for it. Others don't.

The problem is that those miracle products and attempts at swaying opinions are not the only things that people are buying into without understanding the flaws in the studies that those producers claim to have conducted. 

There are many more important matters that are being skewed because people believe everything thy read without looking at the actual research. 

Let's take the family for instance. No matter who you are or what your beliefs are about the composition of the ideal family, we all agree that family is fundamental. It is a support system. When we go through hard times we lean on our families (whoever in your life that is) for support and comfort. Without family our society would soon become desolate. Because of this many researchers have dedicated their lives studying and researching what the most effective kind of family unit is.

The point of this article is not to discuss the findings of those studies. We all have different definitions and ideas of what we think is best. No. With this article, I am suggesting that too often we do not look at the data or the correct numbers before making our assumptions. This can change the course of the whole world.

Let's take a look at an issue which is rather controversial. In 2012 a decision was made that altered the definition of the family unit. The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) was tasked with the responsibility of determining whether or not to change the definition of marriage to include homosexual relationships. SCOTUS repeatedly asked how this change would effect children. So, they looked at research compiled by the American Psychological Association about the effects of lesbian and gay parent households on children. 

These studies claimed that there was no research that suggested any disadvantage for the children that came from those homes.  In reality, according an investigation of that brief done by the Elsevier Research Journal, there were many design flaws in those studies. There were often no comparison groups. In addition, many of the studies that did have comparison groups were compared to single parent households which were not what the studies claimed. The research that ultimately changed the definition of marriage was not accurate. 

   I am not suggesting by using this scenario that the outcome was inherently bad. I am merely suggesting that even though the research was skewed, it changed the entire world. It started with the United States and has spread to many countries worldwide.

It is interesting to note how easily the world can change when subject to new information, even false information.

Therefore, before coming to your conclusions on matters of this much importance (like things concerning the family), dive into the research. Make sure the claims are accurate. Misunderstandings and misinterpretations will only perpetuate rumors and could adversely affect the world if we are not diligent.

References

Marks, L. (2012). Same-sex parenting And children’s outcomes: A closer examination of the American psychological association’s brief on lesbian and gay parenting. Social Science Research, 41(4), 735-751. doi:10.1016/j.ssresearch.2012.03.006